Saxophone



April 20 1926; 1,581,494

M. A. s ovER SAXOPHONE Filed Sept. 29, 1922 Jmwzzw; H M A J fave/1 till Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES MURRAY A. STOVER, 0F RIALTO, CALIFORNIA.

SAXOPHONE.

application filed September T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MURRAY A. S'rOVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rialto, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Saxophones, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to saxophones.

The construction of the several varieties of saxophones now on the market and utilized involves a peculiar key pad arrangement in which the keys are so arranged that in running the scale from low C to middle C the keys are manipulated in succession except that the upper B key is released and then there is a reverse finger action to obtain the C note. This reversion of the linger action instead of a direct progressive movement is awkward, and I find it to be entirely unnecessary.

l/Vith' the object in view of eliminating this reversal of finger action and with the object of obtaining a direct progressive movement of the keysin running the scale, I

have provided means enabling the production of the scale without the reversal of the finger action.

Another object is to provide an extremely simple means which may be combined with the instrument without any change whatsoever of the usual or standard construction of the rock shafts, levers and keys, and to provide means which may be incorporated originally in the manufacture of the instrument or which may be readily applied as an attachment to instruments completed and in use. Another object is to provide a new action which is of extremely inexpensive character so that it may be combined with the instrument with but little expense.

Other objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following specification of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a suliicient end portion of the saxophone to clearly illustrate the new action;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the pertinent portion of the instrument slightly 29, 1922. Serial No. 591,320.

turned on the axis with respect to Figure 1 and showing the usual A, B flat, B and C note keys;

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 33' of Figure 1;

Figure 4.- is a view of a means for clamping the auxiliary device in position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, it is to be understood that the present invention is to be employed upon saxophones, which instru ments have their keys and pads arranged substantially the same upon all makes of instruments. In other words, the arrangement of the keys and pads upon all saxo phones used at the present time is a universally adopted system.

In order to understand the invention, a brief description of that portion of a saxophone to which my invention is adapted to be applied, is believed to be necessary. As shown upon Fig. 2, four pads, namely, A, B fiat, B and G are arranged in consecutive order upon the horn of the saxophone. This arrangement of keys is present on all saxophones which are constructed according to the universally adopted arrangement. Closing of the A pad together with all pads above the A pad and leaving all the pads below the A pad open produces the note A. In a similar manner, when the pads B flat, B and G are closed, allowing the pad A and all other pads therebelow to remain open, the note B flat will be produced. In a like manner, closing the pads B and C, and allowing the pads A and B fiat to remain open will produce B. In the universally adopted system upon Saxophones, the note C may be produced by closing the pad C and allowing the pad B to remain open. The closing of the pads A and B flat does not change the note, it being understood that the note is determined by closing the pad C and allowing the pad next below, namely B, to remain open.

On the conventional construction of saxophones, the pads B and B flat are mounted upon a rock shaft R, which is journaled in hearings or supports t mounted upon the horn H. The pad 0 is secured by means of a lever arm C to a sleeve S mounted on the end of the rock shaft It, which sleeve carries an arm 3 which is connected to a universal bar 3. The opposite end of the universal bar 3 is supported by an arm 3 which is rotatably mounted upon the bar or support 4. Suitable springs (not shown) are employed to keep the pads B flat, B and O in their open position. Suitable fingers (not shown) are carried by the pads B fiat and B which engage the universal bar 3, so that upon depression of either or both of the pads B fiat and B, the universal bar 3 will be caused to be moved, closing the pad C. The pads B flat and B carry keys or buttons M and N respectively, the button M being adapted to be engaged by the second finger of the left hand and the button N being adapted to be engaged by the first finger of the left hand. By pressing upon both of the buttons M and N, the three pads B fiat, B and C are held closed, and if the .A pad is allowed to remain open, the note B flat will be given. If the button N is pressed by the first finger, the pads B and C will be held closed and the pad B fiat will be allowed to remain open. This produces the note B.

In-the present construction of saxophones, heretofore employed, in order to produce the note middle G, the button M is pressed downwardly and the first finger is lifted from the button N. This causes the pads B fiat and C to be held closed. The pad B being allowed to remain open and because of the fact that the pad C is held closed while the subjacent pad is held open, the note middle C will be produced. In other words,

regardless of which pads below the bad B are closed or open, the note middle C will be produced, when the pad C is closed and the pad B is open.

In going up the scale this arrangement of the keys requires a reverse fingering movement in going from B to C, it being understood that the buttons M and N are both pressed downwardly to produce B flat, the second finger then being raised to release the pad B flat and produce the note B and the first finger then being raised and the second finger then being pressed clownwardly upon the button M to produce 0. This reverse fingering movement not only is quite difficult but prevents a quick change from B to- C. I therefore provide a support 5 upon the horn H which pivotally supports a rock shaft 5 carrying a key lever 5 which is positioned adjacent the thumb button 6 mounted upon the back side of the horn H. The end of the rock shaft 5 is journaled in the support 8 which is used to pivotally support the rock shaft 7' carrying the key lever 7, it being understood that depression of the key 7 upon the conventional saxophone opens the upper register. The rock shaft 5 carries a finger 10 which is also adapted to engage the universal bar 3. If desired, suitable springs may be employed (not shown) to hold the key lever 5 in uppermost position. Depressing the key lever 5 by sliding the thumb off from the thumb button 6 actuates the universal bar 3 to close the pad G independently of either or both of the pads B flat or B. The resulting finger movement is that upon lifting the second finger from the button M, the note B is produced and by lifting the first finger from the button N, the note G is produced, when the thumb is depressing the key lever 5 which is a much simpler movement than lifting the second finger from the button M to produce the note B and then simultaneously pressing the second finger back down upon the button M and at the same time releasing the first finger from the button N. The support 5 and the rock shaft 5 carried thereby may be permanently mounted upon the horn H.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form by which the support 5 may be carried by a clamping ring which is adapted to be clamped about the horn H by means of the wing nut, as shown. It will be understood that the sections of the clamp are hinged together, as indicated at 11.

In this manner, I have provided a device which is adapted to be used with the conventional saxophone, which has the arrangement of pads and buttons substantially as that described. It will be understood that the device is designed for the purpose of eliminating the reverse finger movement previously required upon the sy'axophones to'pr-oduce the note C after having produced the note B.

Further embodiments, modifications and variations may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention as here claimed.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. In combination with a saxophone having a normally open pad producing O-sharp, third space, when open and producing O natural, third space, when closed; an auxiliary lever mounted at a point adjacent to the said pad and operatively engaging a part associated with the said pad so that the latter is actuated without fingering any other key.

2. In combination with a saxophone having a normally open pad producin G-sharp, third space, when open and producing C- natural, third, space, when closed; an auxiliary lever operatively associated with the said pad to actuate the latter without fingering of any other key, said lever being on the side of the horn tube opposite the position of the said pad, and being operable by a motion of the thumb, of the left hand, resting on the usual thumb button.

3. In combination With a saxophone havto close said O pad to produce the note 0 ing a middle C pad connected to a universal While said B flat and B pads are allowed bar which bar is adapted to he actuated by to remain open. 1 depression of either or both of the B flat or In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 B pads to close the C pad, an auxiliary lever name to this specification.

mounted upon the horn of the saxophone adapted to actuate said universal bar so as MURRAY A STOVER. 

